Rose Weasley and the Pit of Snakes
by Squirrel Watching
Summary: A next generation story that focuses on Rose Weasley from an OC's point of view. Follow Zachary Flint as he meets the Potters and Weasleys and the hated William Wood. Includes Scorpius and Albus friendship. No pairings yet will take suggestions.
1. On the train again

Disclaimer: The world of Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardry belongs to J. K. Rowling. Most of the characters are hers with few exceptions.

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Zachary Flint was the son of Marcus Flint and Milicent Bulstrode and had been generally unnoticed by the Hogwarts population for the past two years. Flint wasn't exactly the most unobtrusive person being nearly the size of a burly sixth year. However, his unusual size and unfortunate looking face kept most children his age away from him. His face wasn't horribly disfigured or anything; he just had an unpleasant look about him. Zach had inherited his father's crooked teeth, so he never smiled in an effort to hide them. His brow was fairly low slung with two close growing eyebrows. The general affect of the whole arrangement was that it looked like he was continually glowering. Zach didn't mind being left alone; he wasn't very good at talking to people and would rather not talk at all if allowed. 

Zach had a compartment to himself and his cat, Mr. Tinkles (one really can't be blamed for the name they gave their cat when they were three), and was preparing for his third lonely train ride to Hogwarts. He had the latest Quidditch weekly and was just going over the latest changes in Irelands starting line up when the door of his compartment opened. This had of course happened in the past. A student would stumble upon a nearly empty compartment and decide to join the loan occupant. Normally the door would be quickly closed after the intruder realized who the occupant of said compartment was. However, instead of hearing the familiar muffled apology and close of the door, Zach heard someone dragging a trunk into the apartment. If this wasn't odd enough, it was followed by a smart tap on his shoulder.

Zach looked up from his magazine and then had to quickly redirect his eyes down to the small figure of a girl with wild red hair. She, unlike most people, seemed completely unaware of his natural glower. "Hi, I'm Rose," she said brushing a mass of hair away from her face. "I was wondering if you could help me lift my trunk onto the shelf". She smiled brightly at him without a trace of nervousness. Zach noticed that her teeth were rather imperfect as well, the front two being abnormally large. However, her smile revealed all of her teeth proudly.

Zach didn't know what to do. In three years nothing like this had ever happened to him before. "Uh…don't you have some friends to sit with," or thinking that this girl might be one of those unfortunate muggle borns, "or people your own age," he suggested.

Rose didn't seem fazed by his clumsy attempt to get her to leave. "Well I was sitting with my cousins, but the compartment was rather full and I was sick of James taking the mickey out of Al, so I went looking for a compartment with more room, and well yours seems to be the roomiest one around," she explained as she struggled to shift her trunk. "Look, are you going to help me with my trunk or not? I can always try to magic it up there, but as an untrained witch you're just as likely to end up in the rack as my trunk". Rose then preceded to pull out her wand which caused Zach to stand rather abruptly, as one doesn't want to be sitting down held at wand point even if it is by a first year girl.

Unfortunately, Zach had grown yet another several inches over the summer and misestimated the distance between his head and the overhead rack. The result was a nasty crack followed by him slumping back onto the bench.

"Oh…Are you alrght?" Rose attempted to move his hand away from his head, so she could get a look. "That's a nasty bump. I could go get someone". She swung her head toward the door and hit Zach in the face with her wild curls in her rush to find help.

After spitting hair out of his mouth, Zach managed to grumble, "It's nothing". Noting her continued expression of worry he tagged on a weak, "it's fine". She still wouldn't stop looking at him and gnawing on her lower lip, so Zach did the only thing he could think of to assure her that he wasn't going to slip into a coma. He grabbed her trunk with one hand and in one quick movement launched it onto the luggage rack. The unexpected motion caused her to fall back into the opposite seat with a bit of a huff. Zach then picked up his quidditch magazine and tried to remember where he had left off. His throbbing head and her presence made it difficult to concentrate.

"Right…Thanks," Rose said seeming slightly taken aback.

Zach grunted a response. Maybe if he ignored her, she would wonder off and go look for those cousins again.

"What was your name? I don't think I caught it."

"Zachary"

"Zach for short?" He chose not to answer her question, fearing it would only lead to more conversation.

Rose sat back on her bench and picked up a book she must have set there when she entered the compartment. It looked to be thick and possibly school related, not something Zach would be remotely interested in. After a few minutes of reading she began thumping her bench with her feet which Zach found difficult to ignore. In fact he found her silent reading difficult to ignore. He hadn't read another sentence of the article since she came into his compartment. All he kept thinking about were the things he would be doing if she wasn't there: like finishing the magazine article or letting twinkles out of his cage.

He was still constructing a list of things he could be doing when she interrupted his thoughts yet again, "You like quidditch?" Rose asked.

Zach looked up at her over his magazine and would have raised an eyebrow, if he could have. Instead he raised both of his close growing eyebrows as far as they would go and hope she got the message.

Rose reddened, but pushed on with the conversation. "I…well you're reading a quidditch magazine.

"Yeah I like quidditch," he responded and went back to the magazine.

He heard Rose let out a breath of air and the soft thumping of her feet against the bench.

"So do you play?"

Zach looked up again having lost the track of the conversation. "Huh"

"You know brooms, quaffle, bludgers, snitch, do you play".

"Uh..yeah"

"Brilliant, so do I. What position do you play? I play chaser. Mind I'm not great, but I can hold my own. Let me guess you're a beater."

"Uh yeah. How'd you know?"

Lot's of comments had been made about Zachary Flint's intelligence and not all of it had been wrong. He wasn't the quickest sort of person, but if you gave him time he could figure most things out. In this case he figured it out right after Rose chose to explain her logic, "Well you're an awfully big bloke and that usually means beater. At least with all the beaters I've seen. Not that you couldn't have been a chaser or even a seeker. Viktor Krum was rather large and he was brilliant at seeking…"

"You know Viktor Krum," Zach spat out before he could remember that he was supposed to be surly.

"Not personally…"

"That's not what I meant. You just don't run into people who know about Krum anymore I mean…"

"How so?" Rose asked raising her eyebrows.

Zach waved his magazine in a circle as though the answer was obvious, "Well he retired five years ago and I don't know many who follow the Bulgarian teams".

Rose blushed slightly at this. "Well, I don't really follow the Bulgarian teams. Krum's a bit of a family friend".

Zach just stared at her a bit in awe.

"My mum and dad met him at the triwizard tournament when they were back in school and they've kept in touch. I've never met him, but we always get a Christmas card around the holidays."

"That is bloody brilliant. I mean Krum must have been one of the greatest players of the last century. If only my Dad had been there at the triwizard tournament, I bet they would have been great friends. I mean my mum was there, but she's not really all that into quidditch" At this point Zach realized he had just spoke more in the last five minutes to another Hogwarts student than he had in the past three years and promptly turned a purplish red.

Rose seemed determined to ignore his social awkwardness. "Well I could probably get you an autograph".

Zach choked slightly. Normally he could easily maintain his stony silence, but Krum was a personal hero of his. Sitting right here in front of him was the chance for an autograph. "Really…I mean I wouldn't want to bother…but if it wasn't…that would be great," he stammered.

"I'm sure it would be fine," Rose assured him. He had never met anyone who was so confident. He was certain she'd be sorted into Gryfindor. I mean she'd have to be brave to keep trying to talk to him. He was slightly disappointed the spunky red head wouldn't be in his house.

The conversation had lapsed in to a silence; a silence that at least Zach found uncomfortable. Luckily, Rose was there to pick up the slack.

"You said you played. Are you on one of the house teams?"

"Yeah actually. I started playing for Slytherin last year".

"Slytherin really? My cousin James says they had a brilliant team last year. Not his words exactly mind you. He included a few swear words and I don't think he meant it as a compliment."

Flint smiled slightly. Not enough to show his crooked teeth, but a smile nonetheless. "He a Gryfindor then?"

"Yeah how'd you guess?" Rose gave him an impish smile.

"Just a feeling". Zach gave her another partial smile. Rose opened her mouth to say something else when the compartment door slid open again. Zach turned towards the door along with Rose to see who else was daring enough to enter his compartment.

It was to his displeasure to realize that the new person was William Wood, a Gryfindor boy in his year and his rival. Their fathers hadn't gotten along in school and that hatred had been passed down to their sons. It didn't help that they were both the youngest players on opposing quidditch teams. Flint was also rather resentful of Wood's good looks. He was only thirteen and already he had girls fawning over his dark hair and Scottish accent.

Wood matched his glare and began speaking to Rose without looking at her. "I thought I'd give you a warning about him. He's a slytherin and a rotten cheat and if you knew what was good for you, you'd stay away".

Zach made to stand up, but Rose spoke up before he could start something with Wood. "Stop being ridiculous Will. He's perfectly nice, a sight better than James on some days".

Wood looked over at the red head in surprise. "Rosie! What are you doing in here?" Zach frowned between the two. Rose seemed like an okay girl, but any friend of Wood's was no friend of Zach's.

Rose rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I'm riding the train to Hogwarts. It's not like I'm a squib. Honestly, Will."

"No, I mean, what are you doing here, in a compartment with Flint?"

Once again the hackles on the back of Zach's neck raised, but Rose wasn't in the mood to listen to Will. "Look Will. I got your warning and I'll keep it in mind".

Wood took another step into the compartment and held out his hand to Rose, "Come back with me Rosie. I don't think James would approve".

Instead of taking his hand like Zach expected, because Wood wasn't the type of guy that girls refused to take the hand of, Rose crossed her arms over her petite frame. Her face also became redder and she pierced her lips. "James isn't my mother or my father, so I don't really care about his approval. Besides he's a bit of a bully himself, so I don't think he's the source of moral authority".

Wood frowned down at her, "I don't approve either Rose".

"Will, you're a nice guy, but I can take care of myself".

"Rosie…"

"I think she told you to bugger off," Zach put in.

Wood looked like he wanted to say something more, but spun on his heel and left the compartment.

"That wasn't very nice," Rose rebuked him.

"He wasn't being very nice back".

"I guess that's true".

"So you know Wood". He didn't ask it as a question, and it came out rather less than friendly.

Rose got a bit defensive at the tone of his voice. "Yeah. I know Will and usually he's a nice guy".

"Are you friends with him?" He asked slightly dejected.

"Not exactly. He's a friend of my cousin, James, and they spent the summer together. They spent some time at the burrow with our family and some of the other Weasley's over the summer".

"You're a Weasley then," it came out as more of an accusation then Zach had intended.

"So what if I am?" Rose stood up out of her seat and glared at Zach.

Zach realized he was about to end the closest thing to friendship he had come across in all his years of Hogwarts if he wasn't carefull. "I just…you're not anything like them…in a good way," he finished lamely.

Rose relaxed slightly and sat back down. "So, how do you know Will?" she asked.

"Same year and he plays for Gryfindor," Zach shrugged as if that explained everything.

"Oh you're a third year then," Rose said abruptly changing the subject.

"Yeah, so?"

Rose blushed again. Zach noticed the blush spread across the bridge of her nose and cheeks and ended at the tips of her ears. "I just thought you were a bit older like a fifth year or something."

Zach brushed aside her embarrassment with a wave of his hand. "I get that a lot. Do you mind if I let my cat out. You're not allergic or anything are you?"

"Oh no I love cats," Rose smiled.

Zach opened the door to the wicker cat carrier and let Mr. Tinkles slink his way out. He looked like his owner in a lot of ways. He wasn't the most handsome cat in the world, an overly large gray tabby with a ragged ear and a kinked tail. However, all of those things didn't seem to matter to Rose.

"Oooh what a pretty kitty you are," she cooed to it stretching her arm and scratching it about the ears. "What's his name?"

Now it was Zach's turn to blush. He had never told anyone at Hogwarts his cat's name before. He rubbed his neck right behind his ear and confessed, "I'd rather not say".

"It can't be that bad". Rose paused for a second before qualifying her statement. "Unless, you're one of those people who named your cat after Harry Potter".

"No nothing like that," Zach smiled at her. He had never smiled so much outside a quidditch pitch in his whole life. "It's still embarrassing thought".

"Well if you don't tell me his name, I'm going to have to come up with something which will be at least as awful to call him". "Perhaps, Foofoo or…" Rose got an evil grin on her face. "Will's a very nice name".

Zach growled at her, "Mr. Tinkles".

"Well, Mr. Tinkles it's a pleasure to meet you and I think your name suits you rather well," Rose told the cat, though Flint did notice a slight smile on her face. He was very impressed that she did not laugh. She continued to pet Mr. Tinkles causing him to begin his imitation of purring, which sounded much more like someone clearing their throat than actual purring. Mr. Tinkles did not purr or attempt to purr for anyone but Zach. Zach had always assumed he was rather self-conscious about his purring capabilities and therefore didn't purr in the company of others. Yet, another surprise from Rose.

The compartment door was thrown open once again and this time Wood had backup. James Potter and Fred Weasley looked murderous. They also had a smaller boy with messy black hair with them. Except he looked like he would rather be anywhere else. Zach noticed Fred Weasley had a tight grip on the back of the boys robe. The wrinkled state of the clothing made it look like the boy had made several failed escape attempts.

"Hey, Rose," The boy said sheepishly raising a timid hand.

"Albus! What on Earth?" Rose began her eyebrows flying up in surprise. Zach did not think this would end well for him. He discreetly wrapped his hand around his wand in his pocket and hoped it wouldn't come to hexing.

"Merlin's Beard Rose! What on Earth indeed," James exclaimed. "First, we find little Albus consorting with a Malfoy and then here you are with Flint of all people."

"Albus's mistake is understandable. He's always been a bit slow," Fred explained. "But you Rosie, we thought you had your mother's brains". Zach noticed that Wood just stood back quietly and seemed to shrink under the glare Rose was giving him.

"I can't believe you actually went and got James," Rose exclaimed furiously.

"Don't take out your anger on Will, Rose. We understand that you'd be temperamental after spending time with Flint, but we're here to rescue you," James finished with a flourish.

"I'm not going anywhere with you nitwits".

"Well, here's the thing; you don't have a choice. You can come quietly or we can remove you by force". James told her. Zach tightened his grip on his wand. He really didn't want to get involved with family matters, but he didn't like the direction this was going.

"Albus chose force, and it didn't work out so well for him," Fed said.

"You all are being ridiculous twats!"

"That sounds like resistance to me". Fred looked over at James.

"Very resistancy," James agreed. "Oh well, Will my good man if you would kindly," he said gesturing towards Rose.

Zach stood up and was going to get involved, but James drew his wand and pointed it at him before he decided exactly how he was going to get involved. "I would love an excuse Flint".

"Sorry about this Rosie" Wood apologized before he came into the compartment and scooped up Rose before she could do anything about it. She was much smaller than he was, so she was easy to pick up. However, she wasn't easy to hold onto. The second he grabbed hold of her, she let out a piercing shriek and smacked him in the nose. This put a smile on Zach's face that would have gotten him hexed if James wasn't so distracted by Wood and Rose. "William you put me down this instant. I swear I'll write all of your parents!" She screamed at them. Her hair seemed to grow exponentially in her fury. Wood had to keep spitting out mouthfuls as he struggled to hold onto her. However, he did manage to get her out of the compartment kicking, screaming, and by the sound of Wood's scream as he rounded the corner biting.

James flicked his wand at the luggage and said, "locomotor trunkus" causing Roses trunk to fly off the rack. "See you on the pitch, Flint," he said nonchalantly.

"Bring along the other traitor Fred. Some serious emergency family counseling is in order before we get to Hogwarts. At this rate their both bound to be in Slytherin".

Fred laughed and dragged the other hapless boy along who looked apologetically at Flint. "Teach us to let them out of our site for five minutes," Fred said as he followed James. "Merlin help us if Lily and Hugo are just as difficult. Who knew it would be so much work keeping…" Fred's voice faded as they walked away from the compartment.

Zach sat back down on the bench. He felt overwhelming disappointment and didn't know what to do with it. He ended up scratching Mr. Tinkles under the chin. He let out a scratchy mewling sound. "I thought she was nice too," he told the cat before once again picking up his quidditch magazine. However, he found he couldn't concentrate and settled for staring moodily out the window at the passing scenery and wishing that Wood and a majority of the Weasleys/Potters would drop dead.

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Let me know what you think. I really am open to suggestions. I haven't decided who characters will date or end up with. I just had an idea about the next generation of Flints and wanted to write it down. Next chapter will be the sorting, though the speed of the story will pick up after that. I will hopefully be continuing to focus on Flint's point of view. 


	2. The Sorting

Disclaimer: The universe and all characters belong to J. K. Rowling or are otherwise inspired by her creation.

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Zach had somehow managed to snag a horseless carriage to himself. He supposed the bad mood he was in made him look even more imposing than usual. Just as he was beginning to settle in for the short ride to Hogwarts a rather unwelcome guest jumped into the carriage.

Wood slid into the opposite seat of the carriage just and it jerked to life. Zach stared at him blankly, completely at a loss for what to do. The shock of the sudden arrival didn't allow him to think about grabbing his wand. He just continued to blink at Wood, which made him look like he had just been hit by a confoundus spell.

Wood didn't seem to be comfortable with the situation either, despite being the one to instigate it. Zach noticed that his right cheek was a bit red and swollen and wondered if Rose was responsible for that. Wood kept looking anywhere but at Zach. Finally he let out a long breath and said, "So…" He looked rather flustered which was unusual; Wood possessed a near Slytherin confidence in himself. "I wanted to apologize," Wood finally muttered.

Zach just continued to stare at him blankly. Perhaps his eyebrows would have drawn together in deeper confusion if he had been capable of expressing emotion with his eyebrows. Wood rolled his eyes in exasperation and tightened his jaw muscles. "James took things a bit far today, so…I'm apologizing," Wood explained. Zach noticed that Wood didn't say 'I'm sorry'.

Zach raised the corner of his wide mouth in a sneer. "Feel better now that you got that off your chest?" Zach taunted. Zach wasn't normally much of a taunter; you needed to have a quick wit to participate in verbal sparring. However, he had picked up the basics after living in Slytherin for two years. "Gryfindors are all alike. You're just as mean if not more so than Slytherins, and you think apologies make it all better," Zach looked Wood up and down and tried to express disdain on his face. "I don't like you Wood and you don't like me. I'm not accepting any stupid insincere Gryfindor apologies. We're enemies and neither of us should ever apologize. You're humiliating yourself," Zack finished his voice thick with disgust. If Wood's reaction was anything to go by, Zach was better at being a Slytherin than he thought.

The boy looked livid. His skin was flushed with anger and his eyes were narrowed dangerously. Zach thought Wood might crack a couple of teeth with the way he was clenching his jaw. "You're right Flint. I should have known better than try to be decent to a slimy Slytherin". Wood grabbed the edge of the bench and leaned closer towards Zachary looking murderous. "Rosie said you were a decent guy, and said I should apologize to you".

"Always take orders from little girls Wood?" Zach mocked. Zach was feeling a lot better. He had never managed to get so far under Wood's skin before and it was invigorating.

"You stay away from Rosie. She's a good girl and she doesn't need to worry about older perverts following her around the school," Wood spat.

Zach clenched his own fists in response to this. She was eleven for pity's sake and he would never even think… "Maybe you should heed your own warning Wood," Zach snarled.

Wood made to lunge at Zach, but before he could land a blow or get beat back to where he belonged the carriage door opened and someone grabbed him by the back of his robes. Neither of the boys had noticed when the carriage had come to a stop, so both were very surprised when Wood was yanked out of the carriage.

"William Wood and Zachary Flint," said the voice of Professor Longbottom. Zach gave an inaudible groan. Professor Longbottom hated him, there was no way he was leaving here without a detention. Professor Longbottom was very nice in general, but very heavy handed in punishments. Zach had received numerous detentions with the Professor last year after killing (accidentally he swore) the school's supply of mandrakes. He never served detentions in the greenhouse, because that would only lead to more innocent plants being slaughtered under his care.

"I expected better from you Mr. Wood," Professor Longbottom lectured. Teacher's never expected better from Slytherins. Those kind of negative assumptions stopped hurting after first year. "A student from my own house…fighting on the first day…You will be serving detention with me this entire weekend. I'd take off house points too, but you're house doesn't have any points to take off yet".

"Hurry up to the castle both of you, the first years will be sorted soon". Zach and Wood both stared at the professor dumbfounded.

"But Professor, Zach…"

"Being provoked is not reason to strike another student," Longbottom said with finality. Before the professor could change his mind and realize that he had the prime opportunity to punish a Slytherin, Zach turned and hurried up to the castle. He heard wood mumbling under his breath and following at a slower pace.

Professor Longbottom had been right, most of the school had already taken their seats and were chatting amiably. The sorting hat was sat on its stool, but the first years weren't in the great hall yet. Zach sat down next to a dark skinned boy in the year above him named Kaiser Murdock. They weren't friends, but they both beaters on the Slytherin team which occasionally gave them something to talk about. Zach looked down the table and saw the team captain Aurelius Bletchley shamelessly flirting with Eloia Price. Zach had been one of the many younger Slytherins who would sometimes watch the pretty slytherin girl. She had long dark brown hair and blue eyes. He face shape was a bit squarish, but she had a wide mouth and large lips that matched it well. Zach frowned slightly as Eloia batted her eyes at the sixth year boy.

He didn't have much time to get properly jealous though, because the sorting hat had begun singing. Zach didn't here much of this years song, because Kaiser had chosen this moment to talk to him, "Why bother making up a new song every year. It should just say that Slytherins for the pure and most cunning, Ravenclaws for the cleverest and know-it-alls, Gryfindors for the foolhardy, and Hufflepuffs for anyone who was too pathetic to make it into another house".

"Well, if the hat were honest. They'd lose a quarter of the schools population in dropouts," Zach replied hiving Kaiser his closed-mouth-smile. Kaiser stared at him blankly for a moment, probably shocked that Zach had replied at all. Zach realized his behavior was out of the ordinary, and he quite didn't know what had gotten into him.

Kaiser let out a barking laugh, "Right you are!" he said slapping Zach on the back before being told to shut up 'my sisters being sorted' by an older boy further down the Slytherin table.

Zach wasn't really interested in the sorting. He didn't know anyone, aside from Rose, who was being sorted. He just fiddled with his fork and clapped when those around him clapped. Suddenly a name caught his attention. "Scorpius Malfoy," Professor Ennis read from the scroll of parchment. Malfoy? Where had he heard that name before? Then it came to him. James had said something about that little dark haired boy consorting with a _Malfoy_.

He looked up interestedly and noticed that Aurelius Bletchley was watching intently too. The boy had white blonde hair and pale features that may have been bleached out by fear. He approached the stool and stumbled a bit. Professor Ennis placed the hat on his head and Scorpius sat there for nearly a minute his hands tight on the edge of the school. Finally the hat shouted, "Slytehrin" and the table erupted in applause.

The boy looked relieved but slightly sick. Zach noticed him look at the line of first years yet to be sorted apprehensively. Zach followed his gaze and saw the small dark haired boy, Albus. Scorpius approached the Slytherin table and sat down on the opening to Zach's left. There always tended to be a gap around Zach at the Slytherin table. His quidditch teammates were basically the only people unafraid to approach him.

Zach figured the boy must have been in shock from the sorting, because he didn't even seem to register Zach's presence as he sat down. Suddenly there were a few collective gasps around the hall, excluding the Slytherin table. The blonde boy next to him suddenly sprang to life and stared intently at the sorting hat. "Albus Potter," Professor Ennis reapeated when the boy refused to leave the line. Zach noticed Rose was standing next to Potter. She gave him a slight push which caused him to stumble and blush furiously.

The hat was place on his head and it took even longer this time before once again shouting, "Slytherin". It sounded like a breeze blew through the great hall as nearly everyone gave a collective gasp. The hall began to clap tentatively and about half of the Slytherin table was cheering wildly rubbing it into the faces of the other houses. Scorpius was one of those cheering wildly. He had even stood up on the bench in a very undignified non-Slytherin manner.

Albus looked happy, but at the same time completely terrified. He glanced at the Gryfindor table before quickly looking away. Zach looked over at the Gryfindor table and noticed a deathly pale James Potter who looked confused and betrayed. Wood was right next to him trying to coax him out of his shock from the looks of it. Fred Weasley was wiping pumpkin juice off of his shirt. Zach smirked slightly when he noticed the last one.

Scorpius grabbed slapped Albus on the back as he sat down next to him. "Good going Al," he exclaimed proudly. "I told you, you'd have enough cunning to trick the hat into placing you here," Scorpius told him. Ah, so the Malfoy boy had tricked Albus into choosing Slytherin. The blonde was a born snake if Zach ever saw one.

Albus lowered his voice, so he thought no one could here him. "Well, it said I was a true Gryfindor. I told him…er…it…I guess…that as a true _brave_ Gryfindor I wasn't afraid to be sorted into Slytherin. Then…it kind of laughed at me…I think it could tell I was just a little afraid…and said whatever you like. So here I am, at least for now, I'm pretty sure James is going to kill me when he comes back to consciousness," Albus said looking over again at the Gryfindor table.

Scorpius let out a snicker. "Well you got your housemates to protect you now," Scorpius told him.

"Yeah, I just wish.

"Would you shut up about how great your cousin is? I swear to Merlin you're in love with her, and people say that Pureblood's are incestual. If only they had met you're family first," Scorpius told him with a teasing grin.

"We are not incestual," Albus cried indignantly hitting Scorpius on the shoulder.

"If you say so," Scorpius said.

"I wonder if it's to late to get resorted into Gryfindor," Albus said thoughtfully rubbing his chin.

"Shut up, you prat. You know you'll like it here," Scorpius said. The smiled at each other and then refocused on the sorting. Zach was rather dumbfounded by their friendly interaction. How could anyone possibly be that close after just one train ride? He thought it was monstrously unfair that anyone could make friends that easily. Maybe it was a gift of the Weasley family. Zach scowled down at his empty plate, feeling a bit sorry for himself.

Kaiser nudged him with his elbow. "Look at how Bletchley is eyeing those two. If I didn't know better, I'd say he had the hots for them," Kaiser snickered.

Zach looked over to where Aurelius was sitting. He was eyeing both eyes hungrily a nearly insane glint in his eye. Zach would have been creeped out on behalf of the boys if he hadn't seen that same look directed at himself last year after his first growth spirt. That was the look Bletchley got whenever he scented talent in the air. Zach looked over at the two boys again. They didn't look anything special to him. Both were kind of small for their ages with Malfoy being slightly taller.

They didn't look like quidditch stars in the making, but Bletchley seemed to have a kind of sixth sense in regards to quidditch scouting. Perhaps he knew something Zach didn't.

"There she is Scorpius," Albus exclaimed suddenly yanking on his friends robes.

Scorpius rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. "I know Albus. You've already introduced us and pointed her out like five times".

Albus scowled at his friend and returned to watching his bushy haired cousin approach the stool. She was the second from last to be sorted and the time she had been forced to stand in front of everyone did not look like it had been pleasant. She looked extremely white and terrified as she approached the hat. She glanced at the Slytherin table, but Zach didn't think she saw her cousin. Zach was kind of blocking the view, but when she saw him instead she gave a weak smile until the hat covered her eyes.

This was another long sorting and the fidgety boy a seat down from him was only making Zach nervous as well. Finally the hat declared, "Hufflepuff". Zach found this to be shocking at least.

The Hufflepuff table burst into applause and Scorpius burst out laughing. "And you…said…she was smart," Scorpius managed to say in between chuckles. This was followed by Albus's sharp elbow and Scorpius falling off the bench backwards still laughing.

Rose didn't seem displeased at all. She smiled brightly at her new house and took a seat near the other first years. Once she was seated she looked over at the Slytherin table and waved hugely. Zach was about to return the gesture with a small wave of his own, when Albus's waving arm caught his attention. Of course, she was waving to her cousin. Zach felt a little bit sheepish.

The food appeared on the plates and all of the first years exclaimed like they did every year. Scorpius and Albus seemed to have made up quickly. Everyone was enjoying the first feast of the year. Zach was eating and thinking about Rose (Yes, he was perfectly capable of eating and thinking at the same time). He had always considered Hufflepuff a bit of a joke, just like all of the other Slytherins. Hufflepuff was for those who couldn't make it into any other house. However, Zach new after talking with Rose that she was definitely brave and, from what her cousin said, smart. Perhaps Rose was just too kind and loyal for her own good and perhaps Hufflepuff wasn't just a house for the leftovers.

* * *

I hoped you liked it. Sorry to all of those who were hoping for a Gryfindor Rose and Albus. I have my reasons for sorting them into Slytherin and Hufflepuff. All of the insinuations of having a crush on Rose is said in jest. No one actually has those types of feelings for the eleven year old.

Did you notice that Albus S. P. and Scorpius M. were added to the Harry Potter character list, but no Rose W. or Hugo W. Who decides that kind of thing? Anyways I may tag this story under Scorpius or Albus, because that's what's available for next generation characters.

Thank you for all of your reviews. I had a great percentage when compared to the number of hits the story got, so I was very impressed. Sign your reviews if you want me to reply. Thanks again.

Next chapter: will probably take place in the Slytherin dorms a few days/weeks after the sorting.


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